Clinometer



Sept. 23, 1952 v, BELL CLINOMETER Filed May 27, 1949 FRHNK V L PatentedSept. 23, 1952 YCLINOMETER Frank Bell, Stoney Creek, Ontario, CanadaApplication May'27, 1949, Serial No. 95,678 In Canada May 28, 1948 Myinvention relates .torclinometers for. use upon mobile road gradingmachinery, and the like, and the object of the invention is to provide.

a clinometer for attachment to the moldboards or cutting blades. of roadgrading or building.

vehicles; the clinometer constituting a means whereby the gradient cutof the road crown may be readily maintained while the grading vehicle isinmotion. l HY It is usual to form the-ball or mercury races ofclinometers from glass tubing, but in mounting them on road gradingmachinery blades or moldboards the incidence of breakage has been foundtobe extremely high,,such breakage being due to the vibration of boththeblades and the vehicle. To overcome this shattering of the tubes, tubesof-plastic or bendable material have been experimented with, but it wasfound that plastic tubes would not hold the precisely uniform curvaturewhen held in ordinary mounts.

The principal object of the invention them-is to provide a mount forplastic tubes in which such a tube is clamped between members, at leastone of which is machined or otherwise finished at precisely the propercurvature and the tube pressed-against the curvature of that particularmember, or both members, so that it is permanently set at the properuniform curvature.

The clinometer is designed to be instantly readable from a distance bythe operator of the vehicle irrespective of the angle from which theclinometer is viewed; the clinometer being particularly constructed towithstand'violentvibration and temperature changes without shattering orgoi'ng out of adjustment. v I

In another form of the'invention a globule of mercury in the tube of theclinometer isutilized as a means for closing selected electric cir cuitsprovided to, energize electric motors, solenoids or the like, whichactuate the gradient setting and control mechanisms, whereby a uniformgradient is automatically maintained While the grading vehicle is inmotion.

With the above and other objects in view as will be hereinafterapparent, the invention consists in general of certain novel details ofconstruction and combinations of parts hereinafter fully described,illustrated in the accompanying drawings and specifically claimed.

In the accompanying drawings like characters of reference indicate likeparts in the several views, and:

Figure l is a front elevational view of the clinometer.

"sold ers, (01. 33-206) Figure 2 is a vertical cross-sectional, viewthrough the clinometer. 3

Figure 3 is anexploded front elevational view of the clinometer. i 1

The tube carrying. frame ofthe'clinometer is of rectangular shape andcomprises a pair of upper and lower tube. clampingmembers 2 and 3 and apair of spacing end blocks 4. The clamping member 2 has a convex loweredge. 5 and the clamping member 3 a concave upper edge 6,.at

least the upper edge of the lower member 3hav ing a precisely uniformcurvature. L l The tube 1 is formed of ,a shatterproof transparentbendable material, suchas plastic, having suitable removable plugs Bineach end, and contains a suitably sized ball or mercury'globule.

The clamping ;members 2 and 3 are drawn together by bolts I0 whichextend throughsuitw ably positioned orifices 9 in the membersand spacingend blocks 4. When the clamping mernbers are drawn together bythe'bolt's, their edges 5 and B engage and grip the tube, pressing itinto; the desired accurate curve, the; tube being of course more or lesspreformed.

The spacing blocks 4 are dimensioned-tare tain the members 2 and 3 intheldesired spaced relationship when ,the tube is clamped;- lJponreference to Figure J2. it will be seen that the,

lower edge 5 of th inember- 2 is-rabbeted or recessed'to grasp the'tube,andthat the edgefli ofthe member 3 is flat; v 1

The tube engaging portions of flthe members 2 and 3 are formed withcut-away'sloping sides H so as to expose the tube 1 and its ball ormercury globule 24 to the maximum extent. The tube engaging portion ofthe, member carrie's suitable graduation marks 12 which are carried,-

upon the side walls ll and upon the tube engaging edge 6. j

The tube carrying frame is mounted between a pair of vertical plates 13and I4 extending upwardly from a base plate l5 adapted to be bolted to amoldboard or element iii of the equipment carrying the clinometer.

The tube frame is secured between the plates l3 and M by a bolt 11passing through the plates and the frame. To effect adjustment of thelevel of the frame in relation to the moldboard or element It, the plate13 carries a pair of horizontal lugs l8 through which adjusting screws19 engage the under face of the member 3. It will be understood that theframe may be swung about the bolt [1 by adjustment of the screws 19.

To provide automatic control, a plurality of electrodes 20 are carriedwithin the member 2 nisms are sometimes used. With my automaticgradientcontrol clinometer, the mechanisms are preferably operated by electricmotors, solenoids or the like (not shown), which are energized byelectrical circuits closed by the mercury globule 24 simultaneouslycontacting two of the elec trodes 20 to bridge the gap and close thecircuit v to a motor or solenoid.

In the manual gradient control of mobile grad ing equipment, theoperator actuates the control mechanism to maintain the mcldboard at thecorrect gradient inclination, and in the visual use of my clinometer,the operator through manual control retains the mercury globule at apredetermined graduation point.

With automatic gradient control in operation, the closing or opening ofthe electrical circuits through the electrodes 20 regulates thehydraulic or mechanical controls of the cutting edges of the equipment,keeping them at a constant and uniform gradient regardless of theirregularity of the ground over which they are passing.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that the use of anyclinometer is particularly' applicable to construction without benefitof grade stakes, straight edges, levels, lines or surveying instrumentsetc., a uniform crown of accurate dimensions on a road, highway orairport runway prior to or at the time of applying a concrete, asphalt,stone orother type of sur- There has thus been provided a simple andeflicient device of the kind described and for the purpose specified.

It is obvious that minor changes may be 'made in the form andconstruction of the invention without departing from the material spiritthereoffi It is not, therefore, desired to confine the invention to theexact form herein shown and described, but it is desired to includeall'such as properly come within the scope claimed.

I claim: v

'1. A clinometer comprising a bendable tube containing a gravitycontrolled element, an upper and a lower clamping member, said membershaving longitudinally curved'faces between whichv the tube is grippedand curved longitudinally, the curved face of the upper of said clampingmembers being transversely concaved to conform to the tube wall, saidmembers having the walls either side of said clamping faces cut away fora substantial length between the ends thereof to reduce engagement withsaid tube to a narrow contact band to thereby expose a major portion ofthe tube surface throughout said length between the ends, and clampingmeans to force said clamping members into clamping engagement with saidtube.

2. A clinometer comprising a bendable tube containing a gravitycontrolled element, a lower clamping member rockably mounted on asupport structure and an upper clamping member adapted to clamp saidtube to said lower clamping member, said members having longitudinallycurved faces between which said tube is gripped and curvedlongitudinally with the curved face of the upper of said clampingmembers being transversely concaved to conform to the tube wall, saidmembers having the walls at least on one side of said faces cut away fora substantial length between the ends of said members, clamping means toforce said upper clamping member and'tube towards said lower clampingmember, and adjustable means for rocking said lower clamping member withsaid tube clamped thereto without upsetting curvature of said tube.

3. A clinometer comprising a bendable tube containing a gravitycontrolled element, a lower clamping member formed with a longitudinalprecisely curved support surface for said tube pivotallymounted on asupport structure, an upper clamping member adaptedto clamp said i tubeto said precisely curved support surface,

means for urging said upper clamping member to conform said tube to saidlongitudinal curved surface, and means to adiustably tilt said pivotallymounted lower clamping member while maintaining precise curvature ofsaid tube against said precisely curved support surface.

FRANK V. BELL.

REFERENCES CITED Thefollowing references are of record in the file'ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,877,628 Replogle Sept. 13. 19321,877,629 Replogle Sept. 13, 1932 2,101,077 Langsner Dec. 7. 19372,101,837 Blanchett Dec. 14, 1937 2,317,715 Ball Apr. 27, 1943 2,338,811Hasbrook Jan. 11, 1944 2,471,651 Pantuosco May 31, 1949 2,477,927 HansonAug. 2, 1949

